The present disclosure relates to an improved battery box and method for providing electrical power to a device. The battery box herein may advantageously be mounted on a helmet such as a military or tactical field helmet for use with a helmet-mounted device or a helmet mounting system for mounting a device such as a night vision device or other optical or viewing device. However, it will be recognized that the present battery box may be used to supply power to all manner of electronic or electrically operated devices. Without limiting the foregoing, the present battery box may be adapted for direct removable attachment to a device to be powered, or, alternatively, may be adapted for remote attachment to the device to be powered, e.g., via cable, circuit board or other circuit carrying substrate for electrically coupling the battery box to a device to be powered.
In a more limited aspect, a method for supplying power to a device, such as a device attached to a helmet or helmet mounting system from a remote location on the helmet is provided. The improved battery box disclosed herein provides a mounting shoe interface which allows power, ground and/or signal to pass from one device to another through the interface. The mounting shoe interface herein finds utility with the battery box as shown and described herein, however, it will be recognized that the battery pack herein is equally applicable to any type of mounting system which can be used to provide power and/or data or control signal to and from one or more items, wherein the battery pack can readily be connected, disconnected and interchanged. Although the preferred embodiment is depicted wherein the device to be powered is a optical device located on the front portion of a helmet and wherein the battery box is remotely located on the rear portion of the helmet, other applications are contemplated, such as for use with a weapon rail mounting interface, wherein power is supplied from the battery box to one or more devices on the weapon mounting rail via conductors carried on or within the weapon rail interface.